The present disclosure relates to a liquid crystal display performing display in, for example, a VA (Vertical Alignment) mode, and a method of driving the same, and an electronic unit including such a liquid crystal display.
In liquid crystal displays, when an electric field is applied to a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between two substrates facing each other, alignment of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer is changed to modulate light passing through the liquid crystal layer. Systems of applying an electric field to a liquid crystal layer include a vertical electric field system. In the vertical electric field system, a pixel electrode and a counter electrode are disposed to face each other with the liquid crystal layer in between, and an electric field is applied, in a vertical direction, to liquid crystal molecules between the pixel electrode and the counter electrode. Display modes using the vertical electric field system include a VA mode and a MVA (Multi-domain Vertical Alignment) mode (refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-357830). In liquid crystal displays of these modes, liquid crystal molecules are aligned at a predetermined pre-tilt angle in a vertically oblique direction, and in a usual state (an off state) in which an electric field is not applied to the liquid crystal layer, long axes of liquid crystal molecules are aligned in a direction substantially perpendicular to a substrate surface. In a state (an on state) in which an electric field is applied to the liquid crystal layer, liquid crystal molecules fall (tilt) according to the magnitude of the electric field to be aligned in a direction nearly parallel (horizontal) to the substrate surface.